After the Game
by NinNinKakizaki2015
Summary: The end of the season comes down upon both easygoing and hard times. Ryuuji x Minori.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Toradora or any of its characters.**

It was getting near the end of the day. The last rays of the autumn sun were just barely brimming over the mountain range, and a cool breeze could be felt all around the countryside. The level of warmth was just enough for the odd person out to casually stroll back to their home without having to worry about catching a cold.

Along the mountainside, moose were carefree and prosperous, thriving off the luxuries nature had to offer them. Butterflies could be seen flying in one direction, heading off to who knew where, into the distance. And driving along the newly paved highway was a mini SUV, trudging along slowly as though the driver was taking his time to enjoy the scenery.

"Man, I'm totally beat!" said the female passenger, stretching out and sticking her head out the car window.

Minori Takasu (nee Kushieda). The captain of the newly formed all-female Japanese softball team, clearly enjoying herself after her team received as satisfying placement in the league this season.

"I was actually surprised that we were able to make it this far, with most of the team being first-timers and all," said the driver, as he swerved a little to avoid a little crack in the pavement.

Ryuuji Takasu. Renowned nutritionist and official health consultant for Minori's softball team. After one whole season of giving advice and support, he was ready to call it quits for a while. Together with his wife, they were headed towards their summer home by the sea, looking forward to a well-deserved vacation.

"Well, like I've always said Ryu-chan: Never underestimate the underlings! Or else you have underestimated yourselves! Ho ho ho!"

"Yeah, that's true…"

"Am I right? Or am I wrong?" Minori pressed her face close to her husband as though she were interrogating him. "I want a straight answer from you young man!"

"Ah, come on honey, I'm driving right now!" Ryuuji cried out, but one can tell he was enjoying his wife's little teasing by the slight grin on his face.

"But you know you like it, don't you Ryu-chan!"

"Ahahaha, okay okay, we're home now! Just make sure we don't get into any accidents while we're in our driveway…" Ryuuji made a slight left and latched the car onto a small dirt path hidden amongst a thicket of small trees.

It had been a good five years since Ryuuji and Minori were married. Ever since their high school graduation, the two had been close, and it all started with a confession that took too long to get out. They both had secretly liked each other since entering high school, and neither of them were able to effectively express their feelings due to certain circumstances.

Even while busy with university and college, Ryuuji had maintained contact with his girlfriend for the following few years, before having the guts to propose to her. It was probably the boldest thing he did in his entire life, as he did it in front of his whole graduate class, much to Minori's surprise.

And now with their careers in sync with each other, Ryuuji and Minori made their living, and have been happy ever since.

"We're home!" Ryuuji exclaimed to no one in particular as he and his wife walked into the house.

Their humble abode wasn't much, but it was worth the investment. A warm fireplace indoors, a front porch to relax and enjoy the sunset on, and all amenities taken care of and provided for; Just enough for a happy couple to drown out their fatigue in.

"Ah! Mr. Couch! Miss me already?" Minori pretended to stumble forward before collapsing on said couch. "I miss you too, ya know? Let's not forget one bit about each other from now on, don't ya agree?"

"Hey, wouldn't to forget about me now, don't you guys?" Ryuuji was hanging up his jacket before making his way over, in which Minori scooted over to make some space for her husband. Once seated, she leaned against him while Ryuuji put his arm around her.

"Of course not Ryu-chan! Who wouldn't want to be in the company of the bestest, most awesomest husband in all of Japan? I'm pretty sure Mr. Couch here agrees with me here."

"Hey now, I wouldn't go that far," Ryuuji blushed a little as he stroked his wife's dark pink locks. "But I'm always glad you'd say things like that to me. Gives me a good refresher!"

"Hee hee, looks like I've hit the spot again!" Minori giggled as she snuggled up closer to her husband. Truly, even after five years in marriage, her feelings for him haven't subsided one bit. He was her lover, and it was the same the other way around.

The two of them just sat there on the couch, basking in each other's presence, and enjoying the last bit of warmth the sunset had to offer. They couldn't have asked for a better moment of peace and tranquility after the hectic softball season. It was a time to reflect upon life and what they had accomplished. It was a time to look back on all the hardships they had gone through, and the consequences that came with them…

"Say Ryuuji," Minori had broken the silence.

"Hm?" Ryuuji had slightly dozed off prior to hearing his wife speak up.

"How do you think Taiga's doing now?"

"Taiga huh?" Ryuuji was now completely lost in thought. Taiga Aisaka. How Ryuuji's whole love story had started. To be honest, if it wasn't for his chance encounter with that girl all those years ago, his relationship with Minori wouldn't have blossomed. In contrast, coming in contact with Taiga also hindered Ryuuji's feelings toward Minori, which had left him in a really complex situation.

Which led to the incident one Christmas Eve, in where Minori had rejected his offer to have her join him in the school Christmas party. Depressed and heartbroken, Ryuuji had come down with amnesia, not having remembered anything at all.

And this is where Ryuuji found himself at odds with himself again; did he really love Minori, or were his feelings for her being swayed by being around Taiga? Slowly, as he began to recover his memories, he found that he couldn't forget about either of them.

But while he couldn't leave Taiga alone due to certain circumstances, Ryuuji realized that his feelings for Minori still lingered, and there was no way he could totally forget about her. It certainly pained him having to think about this, not just through to the head, but through to his heart as well.

Ultimately though, it was Taiga who took the initiative that Ryuuji couldn't act upon. She managed to get together with Yusaku Kitamura, Ryuuji's best friend, so that he could finally confess his feelings to Minori. It was a burden off both of their shoulders. Minori before was troubled as well, wanting Taiga to be happy, but at the same time, she harboured feelings towards the same guy, thus didn't want to act.

At the same time though, they never truly thanked Taiga, as it was she who managed to bring the two together, and that memory never truly faded away.

"I'm pretty sure she's fine, but it's been a while since we heard from her. And Kitamura, for that matter."

"Is she truly happy? Really?" Minori definitely wasn't sounding her normal, cheery self. Ryuuji took a glance at his wife's melancholic face. She was looking down, with a slight frown on her face. "I mean, as her best friend from high school, I couldn't stand to see her suffer on her own like that."

"And as her neighbour during that time, I couldn't let her off on her own for one second," Ryuuji added. Truly, Taiga was at times either a burden or someone that you really needed to care for. It was really complicated.

"But look on the bright side," Ryuuji lifted Minori's chin so he could stare into her eyes. They were ever so bright, even in sorrow. "There's no way Taiga would ever back away from her own happiness, no matter what. We've got to believe in her, that she can pull through on her own. Plus, she's got Kitamura with her, so why worry?"

Minori took a breath and contemplated that statement. True, Taiga was a headstrong girl, and even though she really couldn't take care of herself for the most part, she was willing to learn. There was just so much to say about her, but this time, Minori decided to keep quiet about it.

Slowly, her smile began to return. Relieved, Ryuuji embraced his wife with both arms, while she did the same. They didn't need to worry about Taiga anymore. She was their friend, and all they needed to know was that she was happy, and will continue to pursue her own happiness.

"Alright then mister, I demand a back massage from you, o health expert!" Minori broke away from her husband and lay on her stomach on the couch. "Can't totally neglect your professional duties now, can ya?"

"Give me a break…" Ryuuji sighed, but felt perfectly cheerful that the Minori he knew had just came back. Stretching his arms, he began to work away at his wife's shoulders, which were still quite stiff.

"Ah, that's it! Nice and steady…." Minori loosened up as her husband began to rub circles around her shoulder blades. "That really does hit the spot y'know?"

Ryuuji, while formally holding the occupation of a standard nutritionist, was very knowledgeable when it came to various health concerns. This pretty much led him to become a licensed masseuse as well, which was rare, with him being male and all.

While pounding down along Minori's back, a sudden thought came across Ryuuji's mind.

"We must've come a long ways to get to where we are now, don't you think?"

Minori pondered this for a moment. Their relationship was definitely one treacherous journey filled with loopholes and tight corners. Secrets and lies were what they lived on through, and sometimes, Minori questioned herself whether or not she had made the right choice. After all, it was Taiga who pushed her to express her feelings.

"More or less, yeah…"

"Hey, what's up honey? You're sounding a little shallow again. Is something bothering you?"

Oh great, now she did it again. Geez Minori, what's up with you? She didn't want her husband to end up worrying over her just because of her own self-doubt. She was happy, and she didn't want to set it aside, but over the course of her life, she couldn't get over the fact that she literally tore apart the ties that brought Taiga and Ryuuji together.

"You're not crying are you? Hold on, what's wrong? Did I say something stupid?" Ryuuji was frantically putting the blame on himself. That guy, he never does put his own dignity first.

And great, now she was crying. Minori cursed herself as she sat up and rubbed her eyes as furiously as she could, all while Ryuuji stood there, dumbfounded. It wasn't his fault at all! It was Minori herself, who was being stupid over a little petty matter. What was she to do?

"It..It…it's okay…." Minori sniffled. "I was just contemplating what you said earlier. Yeah, it's been tough, getting to where we are today, but I just want you to know…" she hesitated a little, "that I'm truly happy, happy to be with you, after all that's happened…"

Ryuuji was now getting the gist of things. Of course, Minori was referring to Taiga. To her, Taiga was like a little sister, needing to be cared for. Over their high school years, it seemed to be that Ryuuji had taken over that role, and kind of left a big misunderstanding between all three of them. However, while Ryuuji couldn't really shake off the fact that he did have feelings for Taiga, that was all in the past. It certainly pained him that his wife was now thinking back on those things.

"Now there, it's alright, of course I'm happy to be with you." Ryuuji brought Minori in for another hug. "And I promise that I'll never leave your side again. I'm sure Taiga sends us her blessings as well."

Minori cried freely into her husband's shoulder. She still felt guilty over taking Ryuuji from Taiga, but for now, there was no heading back. She was pretty sure that Taiga would've reprimanded her for thinking this way. Just the thought of how she would react brought a smile upon Minori's face.

Feeling his wife's mood lighten up again, Ryuuji began to feel at ease. Loosening his grip on her, he placed his hands on Minori's shoulders and smiled as best as he could to her. Minori started to chortle.

"What's so funny?"

"That look you have every time you clean something, it never changes doesn't it?" Minori began to giggle some more as Ryuuji frowned a little.

"Hey, I thought you said you didn't mind how I looked like!"

"No, no, I don't mean it in a harsh way, it's just…" she pecked her husband on the cheek. "There's no way anyone else would take away and marry this face. And I'm glad that I was the one brave soul who did." Minori then flashed a grin.

Ryuuji smiled. He too, was glad that he ended up marrying his childhood crush. There was no way, ever, that he would have regretted this decision. Heck, even if Minori does have the occasional breakdown, he'd be there to support her, just like a husband should.

"Oh, uh, Ryuuji?"

"Yes dear?"

"I love you, best of all you hear?"

"Yeah, that's for sure," Ryuuji replied as they locked pinkies. They were never going to be separated. Their bond has been sealed. Together, they shall overcome any new obstacles that come to light in their future life together. That being said, the couple came together for one final embrace before calling it a night.

 **A/N: Honestly, I don't think this is my best work. As much as I like a good Ryuuji x Minori, I feel that I'm not that good at writing slice-of-life type stories. Plus, I really don't have much to reference in terms of character, as canonically, Ryuuji and Minori don't end up together. Oh well, what do you guys think? Reviews are greatly appreciated. Thanks!**


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